The invention relates to an illuminating balloon with an inflatable envelope made of flexible material of small thickness, containing an illuminating device with an electric bulb, first means for supporting and supplying power to the bulb, and second means for filling the envelope with a fluid, notably air, to perform inflation of the balloon.
In illuminating balloons of the prior art (for example as described in the document EP-A-0,697,413), the envelope is airtight and the filling fluid may be air or helium. The electrical power supply to the bulb is generally achieved by means of an electrical enclosure situated at the bottom of a pole. The use of illuminating balloons of this kind in heavy industry or building site environments gives rise to the twofold problem of maintenance of the equipment and safety of people. The balloon envelope is in fact liable to be burst by uncontrolled handling operations. Operation of the pressure switch in case of a drop of the internal pressure automatically cuts the power supply to the bulb. The envelope then has to be repaired for the lighting to be restored, which means that a place must be set aside for storage of spares and repair parts, and also means that the personnel has to be trained. The positioning of the electrical enclosure at the bottom of the pole means that a tightly sealed enclosure meeting safety standards is required, which increases the cost price of the installation.